The #CockyGate Trademark Kerfuffle

Cockygate takes over Twitter!

This weekend, Twitter blew up with the #cockygate or #cocky scandal, where a romance author trademarked the common English word cocky. Normally, these kerfuffles are way over my head and I don’t pay attention but I used to work in a patent agency and I have a little, read very little, knowledge of intellectual property and what I read filled me with horror.

Quick disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are the author’s personal opinion alone and do not reflect Myrddin’s.

I worked in the search department. It was my job to check the validity of patents and report to clients on them as well as other duties. Because of this I had to attend ‘lessons’ with the ‘baby’ agents (affectionate term for trainees) on patent law. I know this isn’t trademark law and that they are very different but it did kind of crop up in conversations now and again. It was drummed into us that patents had to be unique. Part of my job was to find other patents or find inventions in use before an application was filed to ‘blow it out of the water’. I thought of myself as a bit of a pirate. Arrr!

Trademarks were supposed to follow a similar vein. Trademarks were supposed to incur protection for novel and unique marks. I may have not paid the proper amount of attention when they were talking about it, the smoked salmon bagels were particularly delicious in those lessons, so I admit I may have got the wrong end of the stick. I’m always willing to be wrong.

This brings me back to cockygate. An author filed and was granted a trademark for the word ‘Cocky’ as well as another for the stylized word to do with her book series.

The USPTO is notoriously busy and things can slip through which probably shouldn’t. Saying this, it does only take a few seconds to determine on Amazon that there were pre-existing books on there with the word Cocky in the title and even (so I’ve heard) there was a series with that word in the series title.

The danger of letting this trademark happen is that authors could trademark other common English words. This could be ‘the’ or ‘billionaire’, how about ‘star’? The last one could be great. You could retroactively sue the Star Wars or Star Trek franchises as well as untold books. This lady is a genius. Edit:  I’m pretty sure you can’t do this. I thought you could only threaten people who use your trademarked mark AFTER you’ve got it. Prior use and all that. It doesn’t stop people from trying though and sometimes just the threat is enough to scare someone to do what you want. End of edit.

I’m not saying trademarking words is stupid. Apple for example is a trademark of the computer company. An ordinary every day apple of the fruit variety cannot be confused with the maker of computers and iPhones etc. I’ve always believed that was why some are allowed and others not. Cocky on the other hand is a descriptive word which is used on a daily basis in the field the author inhabits. It has been used before and it makes it difficult to remove that word from that field without affecting others. You do not need to refer to apples in any way when talking about computers, I suppose you could give away a bag of apples with every purchase, but that is stretching it!

There may be a happy ending with this. An attorney with knowledge in the field has filed a petition to get rid of the offending trademark. I believe with my little and limited understanding that he has a real chance of this working. Also, allegedly, one of the trademarks granted was using a font that was not permitted to be trademarked. Unfortunately, I think this trademark has a genuine basis. It was the word cocky but only written in a certain way. This meant that an author could use cocky in their title but they would have to use a different font, no biggy. Except she was given the word cocky as well which meant cease and desist letters went out when maybe they shouldn’t have.

The attorney is also an author and so has a stake in this debacle as all authors do if this precedent stands. He has my undying admiration for undertaking this, not just for filing the petition but also for not seeking damages or any financial penalties. After all, the trademark happy author may have just received bad advice and is acting on that advice. I do like to think the best of people.

However this pans out, there will still be fallout even if this trademark is annihilated. Authors will be out of pocket and let’s be frank, authors don’t make a ton of money unless you are one of our heroes like Stephen King, James Patterson, JK Rowling or the other heavyweights.

I really hope this can be resolved soon and no one suffers too much from what could be traced back to a simple mistake of not enough staff at the USPTO to assess the viability of a trademark.

Writing a book: Researching fiction

 
This blog offering has been stewing in my mind for days now. What shall or should I talk about? A quick glance at national and international days mention it is national webmistress day this week. I happen to be the webmistress for the Myrddin Publishing website and it is going through a revamp at the moment (still at planning at the moment in afraid) but I need to face it, people don’t come here for web tips. You are here to find out about the authors right?
Some of our most popular posts are from our author Connie who talks about her writing process and our other popular posts talk about authors lives such as Gypsy and her blog about cosplay. In that vein, I’m going to talk about the research I do for writing a book.
In case you are not familiar with my fiction I write primarily fantasy with a dash of sci-fi and picture /puzzle books. My first fantasy novel didn’t take much research. I only really looked up how different cultures viewed the elements, the rest was from my imagination but my latest novel that is serialised on my blog needed a little more.
Accidental Immortal is set in the modern day but, there is always a but, unfortunately the protagonist finds herself transported across space to the ancient Egyptian colony of Duat. It is still in the 21st century but she ends up in a pyramid built during the New Kingdom. And that my internet friends is where my research hat had to be found.
I’ve never been to Egypt, I’d love to go but the threat of terrorism and costs puts me off. Luckily there are internet sites, academic journals and YouTube!
Did you know that there were sleeping platforms, raised on one side? Me neither – before doing research for this book. The building materials changed during the time the pyramids were built as well. What I also found fascinating was the Egyptians were supposed to have crude batteries. Couldn’t this have been the basis for a technology that the priesthood would keep to themselves to keep them in power? My mind was racing.
After my character leaves the pyramids  I had to look into desert tribes but it didn’t need to be exact. After all, our culture has changed tremendously since the pyramid so why wouldn’t theirs? They would have a different environment influencing them, as well as a melting pot of cultures from all the different slaves sent over to create the new world. The possibilities were endless. Add in a dragon and the story takes on a new dimension.
For my picture books, I had to research rhyming poetry but I didn’t just want to do a straight picture book. My son, I hate to say it being an ex – librarian, isn’t really into them. I created an interactive book that could keep his attention – that meant puzzles. He was three at the time but I had some cousins who were four and five and a friend who had a four year old. These munchkins made excellent guinea pigs for the puzzles. Were they too hard?
My son found the latter puzzles too difficult but I designed it so that he could go back to it later. My nails began to look a bit ragged but the answer came back. After being shown the first clue in the word search, my cousins were off completing it themselves. The response from my friend’s son made my day. “This is awesome, it has games in it!“ I should explain that as well as letter and number tracing, dot-to-dot and logic puzzles, there is also a snakes and ladders game in the middle with a link to download the pdf so people can cut out the counters without destroying the book. Phew! That gave me the confidence to publish them.
I have to say, as it was a picture book, leaning towards the ridiculous is always encouraged to spark their imagination but I also wanted them to learn something. I had to research puzzles in my chosen age range which meant giving my son lots of puzzles to try! I also had to check I had the planets right, I do feel so sorry for Pluto, downgraded to a dwarf planet. Other research included looking up the dancing twins for the dot to dot section.
I was surprised how much research even a picture book demanded. I assumed before I started that I could get away with just slapping a couple of rhymes together but it turns out you need to put your heart, soul and brain into everything you do to have something you are truly proud to call your own. The first draft iterations were deleted never to be seen again.
Research can be incredibly boring, fascinating and time consuming at the same time but I think, essential for any book I write! As I expand the Minkie Monster universe there are already three picture books, a letter tracing book, a colouring book and there is a number tracing book about to be published, I am continually learning and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Minkie Monster Series
Letter Tracing: Handwriting practice for preschool and kindergarten (Letter Tracing Practice)
Christmas Puzzles: Minkie Monster Saves Christmas (Preschool Puzzlers) (Volume 4)
Space: A Minkie Monster Coloring Book
Under the Sea Puzzles: Minkie Monster and the Lost Treasure (Preschool Puzzlers) (Volume 3)
Space Puzzles: Minkie Monster and the Birthday Surprise (Preschool Puzzlers) (Volume 1)
Jumbo Animal Letter Tracing Activity Book: Handwriting and Coloring Practice for Preschool and Kindergarten (Letter Tracing Practice) (Volume 2)
Number Tracing: Number tracing, dot-to-dot and counting practice for preschool and kindergarten
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Easter bonnets, bunnies and chocolate

Chaos while making Easter Bonnets at the Clark household.

Everyone loves Easter, right? I have to confess I’ve always been a bit meh about the whole thing. While growing up I got to watch my friends and brother chow down on copious chocolate eggs, my eyes turning green with envy as I was given a bar of carob chocolate. Yum (read this word with the sarcasm intended). I mean it’s okay – if you like eating food that tastes like cardboard with a side of mud – which I am sure has as much nutrition. Don’t talk to me about Easter bonnets either. I am sure they didn’t exist when I was in school. I never made one anyway. Well, I am now an adult and the world has changed. Lindt now do the most delicious dark chocolate bunny, which has not so much as sniffed at a glass of milk never mind gulped it down with my death in mind like the sadistic bunnies of my dooms of long ago.

As I mentioned I am an adult now and grown up enough not to indulge in the sweet temptation that is milk chocolate. I do have a munchkin of my own though. He is 4 and adores chocolate and eats it like his life depends on it. A good thing too as it is the only way to toilet train the scamp. As Easter rolls around the prospect of Easter bunnies and, their? eggs descending on our household like a demonic horde of brightly coloured foil is getting ever closer.

I also went through the annual hell of the Easter bonnet competition last week. Apparently the way to win the Easter bonnets shenanigans is to create the hat out of paper, cardboard or papier mache and let the little sprogs let loose with paint, glue, feathers, chicks, bows and glue. That is what we are supposed to do. I went to the pound shop and bought a plain ready-made Easter bonnet and let him loose with the glue and other paraphernalia that was sold there. Next year I will know better! Apparently the other key thing is to actually remember the darn thing on the day of the competition!

Maybe I should go all psycho mum and bribe the judges with chocolate? That could be the start of an interesting story line. How far could a competitive mum go? Bribery and corruption in your local primary/elementary school. I see possibilities… Just to be clear though, I wouldn’t/couldn’t do that myself. It is impossible for me to do anything illegal or dishonest. It is incredibly annoying and a severe character flaw of mine. World domination would be mine if I could just get past those pesky morals stopping me from doing anything remotely interesting. Still that is why I write, I can’t do anything immoral but that doesn’t stop the characters I make up!

Midweek into the first half of the Easter holidays (vacation to my American friends) and I’m enjoying a morning off. Oh yes, holiday club is my saviour. While my son enjoys sun, crafts, friends and play, I get to stay inside like the demented vampire wannabe that I am. My husband is sure that I can burn in the reflected light of the moon. While my son gets ‘home’ cooked meals, I get leftovers. As I am writing this, I am tucking into one of the afore mentioned chocolate bunnies. This one is gold wrapped with a bell held on by dark brown elastic. Apart from the dreaded Easter bonnets, maybe Easter isn’t that bad after all.

10 Unlikely actors for movie remakes (that were originally books)

movie remakesEver wondered what a movie would have been like with a different choice of actor? We love books here at Myrddin Publishing but sometimes we are drawn to the glitzy, sparkly lights of the cinema. Everyone loves a good movie and we are no different. Sometimes we like to think about how we would have written the story or who would we choose to star in a movie about our books. It was only a matter of time before one of us put a wish list of unlikely actors for movie remakes!

Here are six suggestions that may make your toes curl or  make you think twice.

1. Pride and Prejudice

Mr Darcy played by Arnold Schwarzeneggar

Arnold has played romantic leads in the past, but the Terminator star might give a new dimension to the character. Who could forget Kindergarten Cop or True Lies?

You are mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner.” (Elizabeth Bennett) ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

If Arnie had been playing Mr. Darcy, would Elizabeth Bennett have said that? Of all the movie remakes in this list, I would love to see this actually happen!

2. Bridget Jones Diary

Bridget Jones Diary played by Sigourney Weaver

Bridget Jones was famously played by Renée Zellweger but the drippy lead could do with some Sigourney Weaver ‘take no prisoners’ approach. Her style could make the ending all the more worth it and although she wouldn’t need Colin Firth, the fight scene would be worth watching in and of itself.

3. The Silence of the Lambs

Hannibal Lector played by Eddie Izzard

Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs  and Mads Mikkelsen in Hannibal have tough boots to fill but Eddie Izzard could be an awesome choice for a film remake. You will only need to check him out as the chilling Wolf in Powers to see why. He started out his media career as a stand up comedian but soon branched out into TV and film. The guy has run over 40 marathons and is multilingual which shows a dedication seldom seen in this world.

4. The Shining

Jack Torrance played by Rowan Atkinson

The actor who played the lovable Mr Bean has a wide repertoire of acting skills and should surely bear another look for this iconic character. Nobody could surpass the performance of the original but if there was to be a remake maybe they could take another gander at the Johnny English star. After all, he’s already used to being called Johnny. Is it such a stretch to imagine him, axe in hand, shouting “Here’s Johnny?”

5. The Godfather Series

The Godfather played by Eddie Murphy

You may be thinking that the actor playing the Godfather needs to be American-Italian, right? But bear with me. Eddie Murphy could give a new angle to the movie. Gone are the days when he made movies like The Golden Child and Beverly Hills Cop but given a really juicy role, he could get his mojo back. He’s a wise guy but this film is sooo serious maybe it could do with a bit of eccentricity.

6. The Bourne Series

Jason Bourne played by David Schwimmer

David Schwimmer is best known for his role in Friends but maybe it is time for him to expand his acting genius. No one would suspect him capable of such physical feats which makes him ideally placed to be a spy. His job as a dinosaur bones curator would be the perfect cover. To be honest it was a toss up between the Da Vinci Code and the Bourne Series for this guy for me.

7. Fight Club

Tyler Durden played by Zach Galifianakis

Best know for the Hangout movies, a Fight Club remake committee would not be doing their job if they did not at least consider Mr. Galifianakis in the lead role.Just like Edward Norton, the unsuspecting viewer, (if there is anyone left in the world who hasn’t read the book or seen the movie), would never guess the narrator and Tyler are one and the same. The role would stretch Zach but he could do it. Movie remakes seem a dime a dozen lately but this could be overdue for one.

8. Carrie

Carrie White played by Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is known for playing strong characters. This would be a departure but would be a giant step for women. Any character Angelina would play wouldn’t stand for what Carrie does. It is probabl;y wish fulfillment but I for one would like to see her go into the that school and beat the pulp out of her tormentors.

Has anyone else noticed that the actors playing the ‘kids’ at the school look like they are in their thirties, possibly late thirties? Angelina Jolie looks way better and is (probably) a lot fitter than the actors portrayed in the original film. It would be a cross between a Buffy and Willow. That’s a movie I would really love to watch. I admit, there have been a few Carrie movie remakes, surely one more couldn’t hurt.

9. The Notebook

Noah Calhoun played by Jean Claude Van Damme

My husband introduced number 9 in this movie remakes list to me when we first met. I loved The Notebook when I first saw it but felt that Noah should really grow some back bone. I hated how she used the poor bloke and didn’t seem to appreciate him as much as she should have. Enter Jean Claude Van Damme. Instead of watching a drippy hero mope from one end of the movie to the other, he would grow some and find someone else to appreciate him for who he is.

10. X-Men 》

Professor X played by Vinnie Jones

I’ve been a fan of the X-Men films since they started. I’ve always loved superheroes. Professor X holds a special place in my heart as he was played by the Captain of the Enterprise. If a remake were on the cards then who better to replace him than Vinnie Jones? Hard man, ex-footballer turned actor he would deliver his lines with a glare. His lack of accent range would be no problem here as Professor X has a British accent anyway if a little more refined. He’s getting a little long in the tooth, (I’m going to so regret that statement in a few years), so the wheelchair is perfect.

I hope you enjoyed this foray into dream movie remakes. Which movies would you like to see remade and which unlikely actors would you choose to play the leads?

 

Ceri Clark is an author with Myrddin Publishing  who writes non-fiction technology guides as well as children’s fiction. You can find out more about her and her books on this site or at her personal sites Cericlark.com and MinkieMonster.com.

Procrastination, thy name is mine

Distracted student uid 1427251I love to write, but I also like to facebook, play with my son, design and redesign my websites, watch TV, read and apparently clean the house. This only happens when I near the end of a book. There we have it Procrastination.

I want to write, in fact I have several books on the go and several half-finished on my computer which probably won’t see the light of day. At the beginning I work like a demon, hours spent on the computer but when I can see the finish line, it’s like. ‘oh, I can relax now, I’m nearly there.’ Procrastination has hit me with a baseball bat.

Noooooo, I’m not nearly there. There are so many steps I have to do to have a polished book.

That is the crux of the matter. I know I have nearly finished but I also know I am nowhere near the end! I am trapped like a rabbit in headlights. I usually get through it by doing a little each day. Focussing on one thing and just pushing through but oh it is painful.

Anyone else suffer from this? 🙂

Are password books safe

Are password books safeThe answer to the question, are password books safe, is no, yes ah, oh dear, maybe!

The reason I say this is that no password recording strategy is a hundred percent safe. There are a lot of reasons why recording your passwords is not a good idea. For example, to be sure that you are as safe as you can be, you would need these three things to happen:

  • You would need to have an incredible memory; remember 30+ character passwords (a mix of capital and lower case numbers, letters and symbols) for each website you visit
  • The employees that work for the website you are visiting must be completely trustworthy and untrickable
  • The online password safe you could be using must be unhackable

Human nature is always going to be human nature and if you can’t use a website because of those reasons then you need to record them somehow.

But are password books safe?

This brings me back to the maybe.

Of course if you have a book that is obviously a password book at first glance and you write everything down in it including your mother’s maiden name and your place of birth, then no. … but, and I stress the word but, they can be made one of the safest ways to record passwords.

There is no reason that you can’t write a random password down but also have a secret portion that is only in your memory.

This means that if someone steals your password book and tries to use the information in your book then it is useless to them.

Here’s how it might work

Example random password to be recorded in password book.

This should be different for each website.

dF$jB@msv!

Ezample word that is only in your memory.

This can be the same for all websites but I recommend having two, one for banking and shopping and another for everything else.

Tiger

Example combination:

dTFi$gjeBr@msv!

By adding in your memorised word in a pattern that you always use, you only need to remember the Tiger portion. In the above example I have done recorded, memorised,  recorded, memorised until the memorised password ran out of letters and then used the rest of the recorded characters unaltered.

You could always add the whole memorised portion after the first, second or third character etc. For example, this could be: dF$TigerjB@msv!

Whichever you think is easier to do.

What about online password vaults?

As I mentioned above, there is no completely secure way of recording passwords. Passwords need to be complicated and different for each website you visit. Password vaults can be hacked and indeed they have been in the past. The advantage of a password vault is that they warn you if a site has been hacked, they can auto fill login information and you can get to your password information from practically anywhere.

You can use the above password method for password vaults as well and if you keep a password book safe then if you get locked out of your password vault for any reason then you can still get into your websites. If you do use this way to record login information, then you won’t be able to use the auto login function as they won’t have all your password.

The key to my password method is that however someone gets hold of your recorded password they shouldn’t be able to use it. If an employee of a website you joined is tricked into giving your whole password away then they will only have access to that one website because your passwords will be different for all the others. This limits the damage.

So, are password books safe? The answer is they can be safer than other methods if you are careful!

Full disclaimer: Ceri Clark has published two themed secret password books through Myrddin Publishing. Take a look at her cat themed book, Meow-nificent Kittens at http://cericlark.com/meow and her dog themed password book, Paws-itively Puppies at http://cericlark.com/woof

25th November 2015 | What will you celebrate?

Unimpressed businesswoman at meeting with man feet on deskI have a confession to make. Shh, don’t tell anyone but I didn’t write this blog post today. I mean the 25th November, not today, today. Oh you know what I mean. The reason is November is National Novel Writing Month and I should be/am writing furiously to meet the 50,000 word deadline. I predict I will be a little behind but I will get there in the end.

I have been thinking what to post and as it will be [is] National Novel Writing Month then I should do something writerly. Every day has something to celebrate and the 25th of November is no different.

Using extensive research, (read Google) I have discovered that the 25th November 2015 can be celebrated for

  1. Parfait Day
  2. Shopping Reminder Day
  3. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and
  4. Blasé Day

I think the third one is the most important, the second the most appropriate for me but then I saw the fourth option. Blasé day seems to be, like in the Goldilocks story, just right for a publishers blog.

What does Blasé mean?

If you are feeling Blasé about something then you are not particularly impressed with it. It’s all a bit Meh really. So why should we celebrate a day all about an unimpressed feeling?

All emotions are important to our emotional wellbeing.  If you’ve watched Inside Out, you’ll know that all emotions from Sadness,  Fear and Joy are all intrinsic for our mental health. If you are not impressed with a Pixar/Disney film, check out this article from  Scientific American:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/negative-emotions-key-well-being/

It is unhealthy to be negative, critical or blasé ALL the time but you need to exercise all your emotions at some point.  There is a reason why everyone is equipped with so many different emotions when we are born. They may not be all understood fully but we wouldn’t have them if they didn’t have a purpose.

If you need to wallow for a bit, today is the perfect day for it.  Go on, bring out your inner teenager on the 25th November and just say Meh!

What’s your utopia? A thought experiment

Lit windows at nightI’ve been spending a lot of time writing fantasy over the last few months but I have always had a soft spot for science-fiction. The types of stories I really prefer are those that explore utopia and dystopia. What kind of world can we imagine that would be better than this one, or would be better than this one but we as a species manage to royally muck up? With this in mind, I decided to create my own utopia for fun.

In a world where no one suffers hunger and everyone has a place to sleep, how could this be possible? Everyone needs motivation and if you don’t have to worry about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs what will make you get up in the morning and contribute to society?

In my dream world, everyone would have a basic flat, access to internet and entertainment and some food so they wouldn’t starve. To get more, people would have to work. The most disgusting jobs like working in sewers etc, jobs where you need training and art which finds popularity would be rewarded the most.

Every time someone achieved something, then they would receive a reward. There would be no money, just credits which would be infinite. You can give infinite credits, one per item used or purchased for electronic media or access to venues but received credits would have to be earned.

In this way, entertainment (e-books, music, movies) would be free but every time someone would consume an entertainment product the artist and anyone working on it would receive credits. You would need to spend credits earned for manufactured items like better computers, bigger TVs etc.

business woman uid 1097420There would be communal Google type self-drive cars where you could call for one and it would take you where you need to go. No need to buy transport, unless you want a bicycle.

If you have a job you would get a bigger house, if you created a piece of art that would be popular with everyone then, the skies would be the limit and you could end up with a hilltop mansion. The theory is if you contribute to society then you get rewarded.

Here’s how it might work:

Sales person 10,000 credits
Office worker Admin 10,000 credits
Waitress 12,000 credits (lots of standing around)
Barista 12,000 (Skill required)
Gardener 15,000 credits (Skill and creativity required)
Cleaner 20,000 credits (Not a pleasant job)
Cook in cafe/restaurant 22,000 credits (Skill and creativity required)
Job where a university degree or higher training is required: 25,000 credits
Health care workers 30,000 credits (Compassion, patience, skill, training required)
Doctor/Dentist etc 55,000 credits (combined Health care workers and further training credits)
Artist/Writer/Musician/Actor/Inventor 1 credit for every person that views/obtains work (could be millions or nothing!)

Compassionate and creative jobs would be rewarded the most, then all the jobs that no one wants to do. The easier the job is after that, the fewer credits are applied.

What you gain from your hard work would be yours and your partners for your lifetime. After all in this utopia everyone has the basics so you do not need to inherit anything. The next generation has the ability to compete by working for the prizes of better lives.

There could be a lot of problems with this scenario and it is definitely a work in progress (what writers call a vomit draft) but it does solve the problems of motivation and hoarding. I think this might be a fun theory to explore in a sci-fi story! What do you think?

When the hunter becomes the hunted – Inspired by the Cecil lion hunt

The needless death of Cecil the African lion on the illegal big game hunt by a dentist from Minneapolis had my blood boiling the other day, figuratively speaking of course! There was really no need to kill that lion. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan but I believe that the only reasons an animal should be killed is for food or for conservation reasons (to save another species). We are all animals and we should respect life, not kill for fun because we feel like it. Pleasure in hurting another creature is beyond my comprehension.

There really was no need to hurt that lion and the way it was done was beyond cruel. The poor thing was 40 hours in pain. This flash fiction story is my tribute to the lion and all endangered species who may go extinct in our lifetime because of selfish people.

*********

Two-lionsI sniffed the air. The scent of blood filled my nostrils and I felt my body quiver,then move as if by itself towards the source. I looked back at my cubs. The littlest moved his paw over his face in his sleep. The rest were lolling around their mums, content after a day’s play. They were safe for now. There we no signs of danger but that smell – it promised fresh, easy, food.

I yawned and stood up to follow the smell. It was moving now, going faster, I started to pant as I began to run to catch up.The miles were eaten by my stride as my mouth salivated at the thought of eating that fresh meat.

What could it be? The smell was quite strong, it must be a large animal. This could feed my family for days.

I could see the animal now, atop one of this things that humans used to travel. It was a young antelope, too stupid to evade the humans. Antelope had no brains. It deserved what it got. I could almost taste it’s succulent flesh now. If I was careful, maybe I could steal it’s carcass from them but I must be cautious. The thing stopped and I slunk low in the grass to debate my next move. If I circled around them, I might be able to get it unseen.

I felt the powerful muscles in my shoulder bunch as I moved forward, the breeze ruffled my black mane. Adrenaline surged through me. The hunt was on.

Suddenly pain like I have never felt before tore through me. I roared with pain and surprise and I turned to run. I ran and ran until I could run no more.

I felt so weak. Life was ebbing away. Who was going to look after my cubs now? I extended my paw to try and remove the stick grimm my side but I couldn’t reach it. I realised I was going to die. Day turned to night, into day and it grew cold, then hot. I felt numb,my side throbbing. My thoughts turned to my cubs. They would all be killed by my rival and my poor lionesses would die defending them. How could this have happened? I crawled forward, every movement was an effort but I needed aq drink. My lips touched the cool water and I drank deeply. There was a rustle in the long grass behind me and I turned. My eyes widened. The humans had found me.

Ceri Clark writes how-to guides and young adult fiction. Please see her books below for more information.

Free and Bargain Books from Myrddin Publishing! (February Newsletter)

Thank your for signing up to the Myrddin Newsletter which covers news and information from Myrddin authors. In this issue we cover bargain and free books as well as recent and imminent releases.

Bargain and Free eBooks

Unremembered Thiongs Kindle Edition

BARGAIN: Unremembered Things

Check out Unremembered Things on Amazon.com

To celebrate its release on February 10th 2015, Unremembered Things will be on sale for only 99 cents – for one week only.

The paranormal romance tells the story of Indiana Shamira who has a dark secret that could shatter her version of reality and get her killed in the process. Now if only she could remember what it was…

Heart Search Book One: Lost. Kindle Edition

FREE: HEART SEARCH – Book One: Lost

Check out Unremembered Things on Amazon.com

Heart Search will be free on Amazon 7th and 8th Feb only! http://smarturl.it/HeartSearch-Lost

One bite starts it all . . .

When Joshua Grant vanishes days before his wedding his fiancée Remy is left with only bruises, scratch marks and a hastily written note. Heartbroken, she sets off alone to find him and begins a long journey where strange things begin to happen.

As Joshua descends into his new immortal life he indulges his thirst for blood and explores his superhuman strength and amazing new talents while becoming embroiled in coven politics which threaten to destroy him. But Remy discovers a strength of her own on her quest to bring Joshua home.

Hunted Heart Kindle Edition

BARGAIN: Hunted Heart

Check out Hunted Heart on Amazon.com

Hunted Heart is on sale for $.99 with all proceeds going to charity. http://bit.ly/HHkinUL

When Tali is hired to cut out the heart of Prince Kas, the huntress can’t refuse. Tali realizes there is no escape from the dark magic of the queen’s mirror, even though her own feelings for the prince are far too complex to understand.

As they try to run from their shared destiny, Tali and Kas have to rely on their wits and each other as hunter becomes prey and hearts are won and lost.

A genderbent Snow White for adults (18+ only.) All royalties go to SavetheChildren.org.

Darkness Rising Book One is Free at Smashwords

FREE: Darkness Rising, Book One – Chained

Check out Darkness Rising for free from Smashwords

The first book in the popular epic fantasy series Darkness Rising remains free to download in a variety of formats through Smashwords. Dive into the spellbinding series today.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/392664

Wild magic comes at a cost… that of the mind.

Emelia dreams of escape from her life of servitude. She dreams of magical powers; she dreams of dark things. When tragedy awakens the sorcery within her she embarks upon an epic journey in the company of two charming thieves.

In the Dead City an ancient evil awakens. The Lord of the Ghasts covets a magical Prism, the clues to which lie with Emelia. And when he begins to share her dreams, surely it is only a matter of time until she succumbs to his power?

Huw the Bard Kindle Edition

BARGAIN: Huw the Bard

Check out Huw the Bard at Amazon.com

Smuggled out of the burning city in a reeking ale barrel, Huw the Bard is a wanted man. Starving, reduced to begging and worse, he must somehow make his way north to safety. It’s a 200-league walk to the one place he might have a friend, though the path Huw must take is anything but straight.
A lot can happen to a man on journey like that.

Step into the dangerous world of Waldeyn for only $ .99 through February 28, 2015
http://bit.ly/HuwTheBard_US

Recent and New Releases

Darkness Rising Book Five Kindle Edition

Darkness Rising. Book Five – Broken

Check out Darkness Rising Book Five at Amazon.com

Ross M Kitson releases the fifth book in the epic fantasy series, Darkness Rising. Book five – Broken picks up from the shocking finale of book four, with the companions in disarray. Emelia must make a journey through her past to find her future, but the schemes of Vildor the Darkmaster draw her ever closer to the darkness.

Heart Search Book Three Betrayal. Coming Soon

HEART SEARCH – Book Three: Betrayal

Check out Betrayal on Amazon

One bite started it all . . .

Joshua, Remy, and the twins are settled in their new life. However, life doesn’t always run smoothly. An argument between Becky and her twin causes unforeseen circumstances, an admission by Samir almost costs him his life, and the traitor provides critical information to Liam. But who is it?

As Jakki’s visions begin to focus on the turncoat’s activities, a member of the coven disappears, and others find themselves endangered.

And when Liam’s coven attacks, who will endure?

A Dry Patch of Skin Kindle Edition

A Dry Patch of Skin

Check out A Dry Patch of Skin at Amazon.com

Stephen Swartz writes literary fiction about troubled relationships, science fiction involving interdimensional doorways, and recently published his first horror thriller, A DRY PATCH OF SKIN, about a man transforming into a vampire against his will. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O82ESRC
Swartz is currently finishing another science-fiction novel for New Adult readers about an alien trying to return to his family after being captured by…humans!

A Simpler Guide to Google+ Paperback

A Simpler Guide to Google+: An unofficial user guide to setting up and using the Google Plus social network (Simpler Guides)

Check out the paperback of A Simler Guide to Google+ at Amazon!

Do you want a better way to organize and manage your social relationship? Do you want to keep in touch from friends and family all over the world in one video call? Are you interested in meeting people across the web with similar interests? Then this guide is for you!

*Learn why Google+ is the best social network
*Set-up a new Google+ account
*Learn about Hangouts, the best and easiest way to meet your friends and family face to face online
*with video Hangouts. Up to 10 people at a time!
*Have better privacy than on Facebook or Twitter
*Post, comment, ‘like’ and share
*Discover like-minded communities, Google+ i*s the best social network for photographers!
*Understand and use the settings
*Easily control who can see your stuff
*And much more…

A Simpler Guide to Gmail Paperback Edition

A Simpler Guide to Gmail: An unofficial user guide to setting up and using your free Google email account (Simpler Guides)

Check out the paperback of A Simler Guide to Gmail at Amazon!

Are you looking for free e-mail but don’t know where to start? Do you use Gmail but want to use it more effectively? Do you want to organize your emails better? Spending too much time on your email? Then this guide is for you!

*Learn why Gmail is the best email solution
*Set-up a new Gmail account
*Send and receive emails
*Avoid and explain the best way to deal with scams, spam and phishing emails
*Protect your email from hackers
*Organize your email
*Understand and use the settings
*Discover and use Google+
*And much more…

A Simpler Guide to Calibre Paperback

A Simpler Guide to Calibre: How to organize, edit and convert your eBooks using free software for readers, writers, students and researchers for any eReader: 3 (Simpler Guides)

Check out the paperback of A Simpler Guide to Calibre at Amazon!

Do you have hundreds of e-books but can never find the one you want? Would you like to convert an e-book to work on a different device? Are you itching to organize your e-books but are not quite sure how? Then this guide is for you!

*Learn how Calibre can be useful to you

*Set-up Calibre *Catalog ebooks, i.e. add books, edit book information

*Send e-books to your Kindle or other devices

*Find free e-books

*Browse and search your e-book collections

*Convert e-books *Edit e-books

*Discover, download and send news sources to your devices

*And much more…

Coming Soon

Unremembered Thiongs Kindle Edition

Unremembered Things

Check out Unremembered Things on Amazon.com

Rachel Tsoumbakos announces the release of Book #1 in the Wood Nymph Chronicles entitled Unremembered Things. The paranormal romance tells the story of Indiana Shamira who has a dark secret that could shatter her version of reality and get her killed in the process. Now if only she could remember what it was…

To celebrate its release on February 10th 2015, Unremembered Things will be on sale for only 99 cents – for one week only.
http://www.amazon.com/Unremembered-Things…/dp/B00RM7MEFI/

 

Your Guide Said What? Coming Soon

Your Guide Said What?

Do your spirit guides watch you shower?
Can you have an alien as a spirit guide?
What if I don’t have a spirit guide?
Our spirit guides are constantly with us even if we do not realize it.

Your Guide Said What?
A spirit guide Q&A
Answers the questions many people were either afraid to ask or did not know who to ask.

All the authors at Myrddin, would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in reading this newsletter and we hope you enjoy our books!

 

 

Designing the Myrddin Publishing website

Screenshot of the Myrddin website

Screenshot of the Myrddin websiteAfter leaving my previous publisher, I joined a group of authors who decided to group together to create our own ‘true’  cooperative.
We were all very excited to do this. We would all be Indie authors but have the support and combined experience of the group. We all have talents we could share and with the enhanced marketing and bulk buying power of several people we thought we could try something different.

The beauty of the cooperative was that any author could stay in the group even if they were traditionally published or even if we started our own companies. For example I created my own label (Lycan Books) which is in association with the Myrddin Publishing Group.

After getting together with some of my fellow authors online, I went ahead and started on the website (http://www.myrddinpublishing.com/). I decided to go with WordPress because of the flexibility and ease of use.

The website is a showcase of all our best work and is growing – even though we are not accepting new authors. Readers can browse author bios and all our books in one place.
For those interested in the nitty-gritty, I used the Suffusion theme which has sliders  incorporated in the theme.

An app I found really useful was the Amazon Affiliate Link Localizer plugin which allowed us to put any link on the site but any visitor would be sent to a customised link based on the country they are visiting from. This along with a YouTube plugin really makes the website ‘pop’.

I really hope you enjoy browsing the site as much as I enjoyed making it.